Sedition and sedation
Credit to Author: ROLLY G. REYES| Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2019 17:43:06 +0000
Some of the usual instinctive “counterstrike phrases” that we see whenever charges are filed in courts are as follows: political harassment, vilification campaign, smear or squid tactics, a diversionary effort, baseless accusation, attack on freedom of speech and expression, unfazed, ready to fight, hogwash, personal attack, distortion of facts, rumor mongering or fantasies created by spin doctors.
Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 others, including incumbent and former senators and priests, are now facing sedition charges filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) before the Department of Justice. And they have started using the phrases I mentioned above. I thought they had good lawyers from the group to answer the accusations in a legal tussle? Obviously, getting public sympathy tops the agenda.
It seems that legal preparations take the back seat for now as we expect press conferences and rallies are being planned, instead. With pastoral letters and press statements, it will be “Back to the Future” as nothing has changed.
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Sen. Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, urged LP lawmakers in Congress to stand behind VP Robredo. Senator Kiko is a personal friend but I would like to refresh his memory that only 18 representatives under the LP won in the May 13 midterm elections.
CJ Lucas P. Bersamin also announced there was no need for other countries to interfere in any probe into the human rights situation in the Philippines and deaths as a result of an all-out war against illegal drugs. I definitely agree that we have a functioning justice system here. So why the intrusion? And I thought bullying is also a violation of human rights.
One more thing, the Iceland resolution calling for a report on the human rights situation in the Philippines, which was adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, was based on a yes vote by 18 countries, 14 no votes and 15 absentions by other countries. Clearly, the resolution is a minority vote.
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SWS: The United States remains as the most trusted country by Filipinos.
Pulse Asia: 8 out of 10 Pinoys approve and trust Duterte.
I am a little bit confused with these reports. How can the Filipinos trust the US more and yet highly trust PRRD, who trusts China more?
This is the reason why paracetamols are well stocked in my medicine cabinet.
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What’s this foul odor emanating from Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc)? I remember it was Alan Peter Cayetano who organized this entity with several of his most trusted men on the board to ensure control over the foundation. If true, this is not a case of “term-sharing” then but “profit-sharing.” This time, it is the “Lord” from Marinduque who is praying.
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Fifty-two Bureau of Customes employees are on floating status. Many are saying that they should be floated on the contested waters in the West Philippine Sea. On second thought, I suspect that they may enjoy the company of a related breed — the sharks.
Malacañang is preparing to file administrative charges against dozens of allegedly corrupt officials and employees of the Customs bureau. The President also said the Customs employees should resign or face charges, I prefer resign AND face charges (not OR).
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Another blackeye for the Integrated Bar of the Philippines: the IBP and seven fishers from Palawan and Zambales withdrew as petitioners from the writ of kalikasan lodged with the Supreme Court for some areas of the West Philippine Sea.
Meantime, the Office of the Solicitor General had slammed the IBP for the same attempt in gathering signatures without authority from the fishermen. Dear IBP, you have been getting bruised for the past years in most steps that you have taken. Time to raise your famous bar.
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The Sandiganbayan has acquitted the obstruction of justice case against seven police and military officers who were charged in connection with the arrest of the so-called “Morong 43” in 2010. The anti-graft court’s 7th Division said there was no sufficient evidence to convict the government men who arrested the 43 suspected New People’s Army rebels who were masquerading as health workers in a raid at an alleged communist training camp in Morong, Rizal. My question is, why is General Palparan still languishing in jail for fighting these rebels?
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Police officers arrested 22 persons involved in the sale of counterfeit documents during operations in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Thursday. This figure seems to be a little bit low, considering the “Recto Bank” on Quezon Boulevard. I hope that the arrest warrant is original and not a counterfeit.
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DoTr Secretary Arthur Tugade on Friday signed an amended department order allowing hatchbacks as transport mode following a meeting with other transport officials. Hatchbacks and sub-compact cars are now permanently allowed as transport network vehicle service units.
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From New York City:
Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was meted life imprisonment for a host of crimes spanning three decades. Guzman, the 62-year-old former leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, was convicted in a US federal court for a spate of charges, including smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the US. Given the number of Mexicans he killed, the sentence is a slap on the wrist.
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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.
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